Hors d'oeuvres - the latest, most interesting news

This part of our website has been prepared to extend our Railvolution news service. Its objective is to offer you snippets of the latest, most interesting news, accompanied by photos. On one hand this will let you to have a sneak preview of what the forthcoming number of Railvolution will contain. On the other, it will enable our editorial staff to provide you with information that is at their fingertips – and why waste exciting pieces of news while waiting until we have the printed version of the magazine ready for distribution? What is more, on the website pages we are in a position to publish photos for which there will be insufficient space in the printed magazine!

Please bear in mind that it is not our intention to 'digitalise' Railvolution! The printed magazine will still continue, with its full range of articles and news items. But we hope that you enjoy this new offering, and that it will stimulate your interest in our unique publication.

New Vectrons For ČD Cargo And For Others

On 21 December 2017 the last two Vectron MS locomotives so far ordered by ČD Cargo, 383.007 and 008, crossed Germany en route to the VUZ Velim test centre. This photo shows them near Schkortleben, south of Halle. They arrived at Velim on the 22nd. It is planned to hand them over to ČD Cargo early in the New Year.

There have also been other recent deliveries of Vectrons, both instances involving the first locomotives of batches on order. The next photo in this sequence shows 193 461 and 462. These are the first of 18 Vectron MSes on order for LokRoll, which is to hire them to SBB Cargo International. This photo was taken in München-Allach works. The two locomotives departed from there on 11 December, bound for Switzerland. They are now being used for staff training purposes, both on light engine runs, and hauling commercial freights.

The third photo was taken on 1 December 2017. It shows 476 451, the first of seven Vectron AC LM locomotives ordered by Coop subsidiary railCare. The photo was taken at Schafisheim, where 476 451 started service that day. Since then it has been employed regularly on freights between there and Felsberg in Graubünden canton. Here, on track shared with RhB, it uses catenary energised at 11 kV AC.

RegioJet Runs Special Train To Romania

On the evening of 15 August 2017 a special train departed from Praha-Smíchov bound for Orșova in Romania, a run of 1,085 km. Not only was this a run of exceptional length, crossing four countries, but the train, formed of 18 carriages, was also exceptionally long. It was provided for around 1,100 passengers visiting the Banát music festival, and stops were provided to pick up passengers at Brno and Bratislava.

RegioJet, the organiser of the train, used not only its own carriages, but also incorporated some from KDS, ČD and ČD Cargo. The Banát festival is a major cultural event, focused on creating a wider awareness of the communities of Czech origins who live in this part of the Balkans. These photos show the train, hauled by RegioJet’s Vectron 193 226, crossing the bridge over the Vltava river near Praha-Smíchov.

RailRunner Starts Up Services In Europe

Over several years Massachusetts-based RailRunner has been developing plans to implement its bi-modal technology in Europe. At present it is envisaged that the first such trains may run in 2019. In the meantime the company’s subsidiary RailRunner Europe is poised to start up services using a conventional system - semitrailers carried on pocket wagons. The first services are to start on 31 July 2017.

On the 26th a couple of runs were made, between Braunschweig and Bratislava. The northbound train ran empty, the southbound one with empty semitrailers, to make them available for loading in Slovakia. This photo was taken on 27 July near Přelouč in the Czech Republic, showing the southbound train, hauled by ČD Cargo’s Vectron 383.002.

ČD Cargo Vectron Fleet Complete

12 Oct 2016 17:19

On 6 October 2016 the last of the five Vectrons ordered by ČD Cargo, 383.004, arrived in the Czech Republic, en route first to Ústí nad Labem depot and then to the VUZ’s test centre at Velim. Commissioning runs were made there on the large test circuit and on the SŽDC line from Velim to Poříčany, these being the usual choices for commissioning runs. This photo was taken prior to the run to Poříčany.

Vectron Of ČD Cargo Prepares For Hungary

21 Jul 2016 00:14

On 19 July 2016 ČD Cargo’s first Vectron, 383.001, underwent the usual commissioning run required for operation approval in Hungary. As is customary, this run was made between Hegyeshalom and Öttevény. This photo shows the locomotive at the border station of Rajka on the 18th. So far 383.001 has been used on regular freights taking it to Falkenberg in Germany and as far as to Kutná Hora in the Czech Republic. It has thus been used on 15 kV AC lines in Germany and on the Czech 3 kV DC network only.

ČD Cargo’s First Vectron Arrives

01 Jun 2016 22:11

383.001, the first of the five Vectron MS locomotives which ČD Cargo has on order arrived in the Czech Republic on 28 May 2016, en route to the VUZ’s test base at Velim. On the 31st it made commissioning test runs there and on the SŽDC public network between Velim and Poříčany. This photo shows the locomotive during test run on the large circuit. The formal presentation of 383.001 will take place at Czech Raildays in Ostrava, on 14 June 2016. Afterwards the locomotive will be put into commercial service.

ČD Cargo Orders Vectrons

13 Apr 2016 19:34

In late July 2015 ČD Cargo invited tenders for a batch of interoperable electric locomotives. The result was that on 13 April 2016 a contract was signed with Siemens for five Vectron MSes. They will be designated Class 383. The first is to be delivered in June 2016, and the remainder until the end of the year. They will be fitted for operation in the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and Romania and equipped with ETCS. It has been indicated that they will initially be used for example on automotive trains between Slovakia, the Czech Republic and eastern Germany. This is the very first time that ČD Cargo has placed an order for state-of-the-art electrics.

Czech Xpress Starts

Since 2015 B Logistics has been developing its Green Xpress Network, a system of freight train services between Belgium and various foreign locations. The objective is to provide the movement of wagonload freight, or groups of wagons, using a faster and more streamlined method than that provided by standard wagonload freight trains. The first of the new services to start up in 2016 was on 9 February 2016 the Czech Xpress, between Antwerpen, Kinkempois and Ústí nad Labem, subsequently running on average twice a week.

This photo shows the inaugural service, headed by 186 233, which B Logistics has on hire from Alpha Trains. The other photo was taken during inaugural ceremony held on 12 April 2016 in Antwerpen, with (from left to right) Kamil Rudolecký, the Czech Deputy Minister of Transport, Sam Bruynseels, CCO of B Logistics, Geert Pauwels, CEO of B Logistics, Marc Van Peel, President of Antwerpen Port, Jasper Pillen, spokesperson for the Belgian Minister of Mobility and Ivan Bednárik, CEO of ČD Cargo. The train is currently used by a couple of clients for sending Belgian steel to the Czech Republic, but there is potential for more clients especially from Antwerpen.

New Sardinian DMU Visits Velim

17 Mar 2014 00:42

On 10 March 2014 ATR 365 001, the first of seven three-car tilting DMUs ordered from CAF, arrived at the VUZ test centre. The photo shows this train, hauled by ČD Cargo’s 363.509, the same day, prior to departing from Horní Dvořiště.

Class 363.5s Of ČD Cargo Head For Hungary

12 Oct 2012 14:53

ŠKODA is currently working on a contract for ČD Cargo to rebuild all the latter’s Class 163 electrics to dual-voltage (3 kV DC and 25 kV AC) Class 363.5s. The agreement involves getting the locomotives approved for operation in Hungary. Once all the work is completed and type certification granted, all the rebuilds have to undertake supervised test runs for the Hungarian rail authority, NKH. This involves a visit to Hungary, and the first four machines to go there for this purpose, 363.501, 502, 504 and 510, are shown here at Šaľa, in Slovakia, on 10 October 2012.